Angry PSG owners assault referees after round of 16 exit

 

Real Madrid players celebrate after their amazing comeback win over PSG on Wednesday in the champions league. (Photo credit: UCL)

Mauricio Pochettino shouldn’t have a job at Paris Saint-Germain by morning and even he would understand as his failure to see out a comfortable 2-0 aggregate lead up until the hour mark against Real Madrid in the round of 16 in the champions league is unforgivable.

Karim Benzema’s hatrick overturned PSG’s advantage in a quick flash but the drama that followed leaves too much to be desired as PSG chairman Naseer Al-Khelaifi and director of football Leonardo were reported to have assaulted officials and called them “shameful”.

Not sure they have a valid case but their agitations are premised on Real Madrid’s equalizer through Benzema who robbed goalkeeper Gigi Donnarumma of the ball on his own line before tucking it home but at that point, the advantage was still on the side of the visitors.

The men in the PSG box believed the referee should have awarded a foul in favor of Donnarumma instead of allowing the passage of play that led to Benzema’s equalizer, their actions afterwards should be investigated by the ruling body.

"It's a feeling of a lot of injustice, with the goal we conceded," he said. "It's a clear foul from Benzema on Donnarumma. The emotional state of the game changed and we were very exposed. It's a tremendous blow, because we were better in the tie. We were better for 180 minutes."

He added: "I've seen the images, from every angle. It isn't a mistake from the goalkeeper. It's a foul. Little details count, and VAR didn't see a clear foul. It's decisive, it influenced the mood of the two teams and the stadium."

Sources report that Al-Khelaifi and Leonardo stormed the referee’s changing room and banged on the door many times and security guards were needed to prevent them from gaining entrance; another source reports that a referee equipment was damaged in the process.

How PSG bottled the game they were cruising in should also be examined. They have struggled in the league despite having strong lead, fingers will be pointed at their manager at some certain points.

Kyllian Mbappe had scored the opener in the first half to hand the visitors a 2-0 aggregate lead but Benzema's second half hatrick turned it around, thereby becoming the oldest player to score a champions league hatrick at 34years and 80 days.